


Run With Me Into The Night

by CoverFireGoddess880 (orphan_account)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - War, Angst, Blood and Violence, Emotional Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fate Sex?, Fugitives, I Tried, I'm so proud of this, Kinda Forced Pregnancy, M/M, Noctis Has Breasts, Rating May Change, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex, Sorry Not Sorry, Strangers to Lovers, Trans Male Character, not sure what to call it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-29 15:11:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13929684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CoverFireGoddess880
Summary: A letter is all that remains of the hopes and dreams of King Regis. His last wish - a child to be conceived to preserve the future of Lucis.In the darkest hours of war, two hearts become one, and the state of the world is thrown spiralling unto death.Maybe in another lifetime, this could all mean something more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ohmigosh, I've been wanting to write this for a while, and now, I finally have! A FFXV apocalyptic world with GladNoct. Most things are still canon... somewhat, but this will be so much fun.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> Title is taken from the song, "Safe in This Place" by Ryan Farish & Christian Burns. ;) (Beautiful song, btw)

My _Dearest Clarus,_

 

_I remember fondly our days in one another’s arms, those intimate moments we shared, and the likes of which we thought we’d never see again. Well, the time has now come to pass that those days have indeed ended in the wake of great turmoil. I dare not ask if you have caught wind of my troubling situation as I am sure you are quite occupied with your own affairs, but, Clarus, I am heavily distraught. And I pray to the gracious gods above that this thing has missed you by at least one thousand miles. If you can recall, my dear, the state of Lucis is in peril, and has been since our young days. The darkness has finally arrived to try to dethrone us. There are whispers in the shadows, in the growing of the long nights of winter and they threaten us. I cannot even bring myself to trust my own men in the halls of the Citadel, the same halls we used to walk down hand in hand._

 

 _Already they have pillaged, burned and killed so many… The city lies in ruins, bombs explode and rain down fire over our heads, the Wall is failing and no longer do I have the strength to power our only sanctuary from these villains. When I look out into the distance, all I see is the black thickness of smoke rising amidst the red and white banner as our enemies approach and attack without mercy. I know this time I cannot escape this - no,_ **_we_ ** _cannot escape this._

 

_Clarus, my love… I am afraid, and it is for this very feeling that I am writing to you with great urgency. I must ask a favor of you that in this nightmare might seem very selfish of me, but you know me better than anyone ever could and it fills my troubled heart with such joy, knowing that I can always confide in you, dear Clarus! Darling, my fear is not so much for my own well-being, but for my son, Noctis Lucis Caelum, whom your own son has written to over the years but has never met with him face to face._

 

_And thus comes my plea to you._

 

_You see, being born an heir of the Lucian house, these vicious monsters have targeted Noctis and as I’m sure you are aware, have made attempts on his life. These savages will not rest until the Lucis Caelum line is finally severed for all eternity, and somehow, being the thieves they are, have stolen and harbored the knowledge that my son is capable of bearing a child. That they even procured this information is beyond me, though I am never loathe to believe they have agents working against us deep in the shadows. Or perhaps there is a traitor among us… Gods deliver me, Clarus, I am a mess of nerves and apprehension. The tension is too great for me to take in my 65 years of life, and I am afraid I cannot endure this any longer._

 

_I know they are coming for me, with the very intention of ending my life. To cut me down and throw me into the growing rubble that is my precious city of Insomnia. You must forgive my livid and unreasonable assumptions, I am simply on my last leg. Clarus, my heart, I must ask you for this one thing. If nothing else, even at the cost of my own life, I must know and ensure that Noctis has survived this horrible and most dreadful of wars. Please, I ask it of you to send your son, Gladiolus, to rush for Noctis’s side and protect him at all costs. I know how very capable your son is, how he was trained for such a purpose and he is a fine man. You are a most devoted and loving father, my dear. I do not know how the world will be shaped after this, but I will hope against hope that in spite of it dragging us down to our knees, we will survive. Persevere and thrive beyond our means to!_

 

_The hope and fate of the Lucis Caelum line lies within my son, within his fertile womb. Which is why I have specifically requested for your own son to come to Lucis to meet him and deliver him to safer lands. I know this is a lot to take in, my darling, but I must ask for one more thing. And if this is too much, I must urge you to suffer a change of heart for my and Noctis’s sakes._

 

_Please, if you would ask your son to lie with Noctis so that he may conceive of a child in Lucian blood, I could ask for nothing more, my love. He must carry the line of Lucis in secret, travel with Gladiolus to my second home in Tenebrae, and remain there in safety until his time is come to give birth. Please, I beg of you, my dear Clarus… I cannot ever convey enough words on this fading piece of paper how much I have loved you, how much I love you now, and how much I shall always love you._

 

_Even now, I am laughing beside myself when I remember our days together after the death of my beloved wife, Aulea. We had the best of times, when our love was young and new. If only we could reach inside and find that world of me and you, I’d never let it go again. I regret in wicked hindsight how naive and carefree we used to be, oblivious and blissfully ignorant of the growing crisis surrounding us. My father had seen this coming for many years yet never said anything to me about the matter, nor did he take me aside to teach me his ways. To show me the wisdom of the world when life had such innocent mysteries about it and it was afforded us as simple human beings to just learn and grow into marvelous, wonderful creatures, abounding in the sweet blessings of our existence._

 

_In short, with the bittersweet essence of my words, I miss you, Clarus._

 

_But I need this request to come to fruition. I need to know that our sons are safe and together, when no one should be alone in this darkness. I shall send for my son in a few moments after writing this, what may be my last words to you, my love, and explain to him what will be. I can only hope our paths may cross once again… perhaps, sadly, not in this life, but in the life soon to be born from the dark uncertainty of death._

  


_May we meet again soon, my love._

_Yours forever,_

_Regis_

 

_°°°_

 

He must have read it at least one hundred times, every word stuck in his mind like colliding with a thistle bush. But regardless of how long he stood here, feeling like the world had stopped just so the king’s final words could take flight off the paper, it didn’t change the fact that he still had a job to do. The words of the letter were etched in red ink, the same color of his father, drenched in his own blood - assassinated. Soaked to the skin in the midst of a midnight rainstorm, Gladiolus knelt beneath the edge of a tree lined cliff that overlooked the wilderness of Duscae and let his sharp, amber eyes roam the heart of the letter once more.

 

  _‘“...if you would ask your son to lie with Noctis so that he may conceive of a child in Lucian blood… He must carry the line of Lucis in secret, travel with Gladiolus to my second home in Tenebrae, and remain there in safety until his time is come to give birth…”’_

 

He took a deep, albeit unsteady breath, carefully folding the letter and stuffing it inside his loose shirt. Shivering, he made his way off and down the cliffside. Succarpe, his home, was almost a desert, dry and arid and hot most days out of the year. Little relief if any came from the ocean breezes that kicked up numerous dust storms and prevented most denizens from making homes there. Gladiolus was used to such, and being in a place as mild and damp as Lucis, he was actually cold. Of course, caught in the late autumn rain and wind didn’t help either.

 

 He wanted to run, but he didn’t want to rush himself. He knew what his mission was, his ultimate goal, but from what his heart told him, he might as well have been born a stallion. He knew of Noctis and what a fine, young, beautiful man he was, but that was only in the pictures sent by his father. The prince’s letters were what made Gladiolus’s life worth living, little tidbits of a sprout that was young love, soon blooming into outright pining and deep, amorous desire. The things they wrote and shared back and forth for many years were the sweet revelations of becoming lovers from a distance, much too far for anything to really come of it. But now, Gladiolus had a purpose for wanting to feel those things again, a reason for coming to see Noctis.

 

 All he had to do was reach Insomnia, find the prince, and make love to him like there was no tomorrow to live for. He could do that. As long as he stayed alive and kept hidden, he would make it to the Crown City, which was going to be quite the challenge in and of itself while traipsing through what was now enemy territory. He needed to find Noctis, and he made that his only priority right now as he trudged through the wetlands and into imperially annexed arenas.

 

 He tucked his scarf even tighter around his mouth and nose, trying to keep his warmth inside as best he could while he slipped away from the spotlights and breadth of vision of his enemies. Imperial soldiers lined the muddy grounds, armed with rifles and axes just in case suspicion came sneaking around the corner.

 

 Most of them patrolled as soulless androids, merciless in killing and emotionless in everything else. But when he looked harder at their glowing faces, he saw that some were actual humans. Men, most likely defectors of Insomnian military factions and traitors of the Caelum household once all the fighting went down, just as dangerous as their robotic counterparts. It made him sick, angry at how it seemed like all they did was follow the sway of power from one hand to another, regardless of where their loyalty lie.

 

 It was just another day in the line of duty, or betrayal, whichever way they decided to plead.

 

 He made it through the checkpoint without so much as a scuffle, setting his eyes upon the foggy, wet landscape that held millions and millions of imperial soldiers in the normally dusty province of Leide, the lights of their eyes illuminating a contrail of crimson as they marched that warned against confrontation. Gladiolus’s heavy boots brought him sulking beside the rocky ledges that kept their own secrets, his focus solely on where he was headed instead of the looming threat of the imperial base just about half a mile out from where he was, bulky metal and ugly steel built like a cage to ensure the utmost diligence in wartime operations.

 

 It was a good thing that in the dead of night, all the wild beasts set down for sleep so the large man didn’t have to fear an animal attack. He knew how much Noctis loved animals though, and if things weren’t so dire and life-threatening right now he would’ve brought him a newborn kitten a travelling peasant had offered him before he left Niflheim. Maybe it could have served as a sort of peace offering and that seemed a touch humorous in the middle of all this.

 

 A kitten and a baby… both of them gifts from him to his lover. He didn’t smile only because he couldn’t. But a small grin could wait until he saw Noctis, and perhaps he’d see it funny as well.

 

  _Noctis…_

 

What a way for them to finally meet in person, right in the heart of flickering conflict just waiting for the blaze to get hot enough to evolve into a full-fledged inferno of death and destruction, Gladiolus’s duty to this cause being to impregnate the Lucian prince. And Noctis’s, to carry it along for nine months until the birth of a new heir to the throne. King Regis had held out for this plan, hoping everything would work in their favor in spite of the huge risks to all of their lives. And Gladiolus would be blaming himself for the rest of his days for the death of his father, and his lack of ability to save him from the pain of death at someone else’s hands. His greatest failure in his own eyes.

 

 He made a deal with himself. If he fulfilled Regis’s wish and allowed Noctis to conceive of his own child, he’d consider himself redeemed. Loving Noctis would be his greatest achievement… and his most meaningful existence in this life.

 

 The landscape dotted in numerous rocky structures were hardly visible in the driving rain, every step he took bringing him closer to the war-torn, blanketed in fire, city of Insomnia where his lover awaited him. He had to force himself to push down the upset of his stomach in protest of hunger, he hadn’t eaten since the morning before and it served only to weaken his spirits. He knew there was an abandoned rest station not too much farther from him now, perhaps he could sit and rest a spell there before he - no. He had to keep moving. There were lives at stake.

 

 He tried to stay off the main road in fear of an imperial attack, hunkering down and seeking refuge behind the blunt claims of boulders and rocks that had taken to calling this place home for millennia. Rain drenched the earth without letup, thunder grumbled in the distance as lightning flickered and etched itself amongst the dark, evening clouds and Gladiolus prayed that this weather wasn’t some omen; a sign of eviler things to come before the night was done. He travelled opposite the droning march of faceless, metal mercenaries, catching a faint glimpse of the Crown City checkpoint as he passed the junction at what he hoped might have provided him some shelter in the ruinous mess of Hammerhead Garage.

 

 It used to be a bustling service station, run by a cranky, lighthearted old fellow and his spunky, bright granddaughter. But the all-consuming conflict had brought their life’s work to a close, shut down forever and reduced to the roof collapsing over the gas pumps with the H missing from the sign. A dirty, ugly pile of gaudy reds, greens and yellows clumped together and forgotten. None of the buildings remained, like a place that had never even existed.

 

 Gladiolus trudged on without so much as a second glance, taking it as a means to press on in memory of those who had made it what it used to be.

 

 Further up the road, the presence of imperial threat diminished as the worn and cracked pavement laid out wider than previously, a solid yellow line assuring the man his long journey almost earned him his reward. He walked on the shoulder, eyes cast downward and arms tucked tight inside his biceps, the road lonely but free from any danger. He couldn’t wait till the two of them were safe and able to build a roaring campfire, this horrid land of destruction farther than ever from their minds. Sweeping his cape an inch off the ground, his fingers brushed across the hilt of the katana on his hip, the one gifted to him by his father. Rage surfacing once again inside made the nerves in his fingertips hot and shooting for his brain, willing him to turn back and lash out with the intent of killing those imperial machines; his heart and mind still so unstable from the loss of his father.

 

  _“Keep going…”_ he told himself, shoulders held back and chest pressed forward. He’d have enough time to plot his revenge, avenging his father’s sacrifice. Oh, how he hurt to think such wicked thoughts of taking a life, like he had any right to do so. And if he did, how was he any better than his father’s murderer? This was about him now, he and Noctis. This was his story, his life to live and serve others. This was his chance to live for his father, become his legacy in light of justice, hope, and the strength of the human heart. _“Everything will make sense once he’s in your arms… You promised, remember?”_

 

 The closer he got to the checkpoint, the more he dreaded the idea of entering that city. Imperial soldiers and mechs flooded the Crown City gate, poised and ready to attack on sight. Luckily, they weren’t programmed with very efficient hearing, so he could sneak by as long as he wasn’t seen. A shrill whistle stopped his next footstep from hitting the ground, whipping his head toward the source. On the other side of the road, a young man taking cover beneath the cliff of a haven, urged him to his side, cupping his hand and beckoning him over. Ducking his head, Gladiolus raced across the street.

 

 The young man smirked, the result of a childhood injury to his face caused it to look lopsided always, one eye grinning higher than the other. “Hey, hammer,” he says laughingly in a harsh whisper, clapping him on the shoulder. “Was wondering when you’d get here. Chilly enough for ya?”

 

 “Damn right,” Gladiolus responds lightly, settling on a knee beside him. “I was born a warm-blooded animal. How’d you fare getting here?”

 

 “Nearly got my ass shot off climbing over those hills in Cleigne, those damn robots were everywhere. You look pretty good though.”

 

 “I managed,” he breathed heavily, caressing the sheath of his blade, fiery eyes watchful of every imperial movement only 800 feet away from where they hid. “How’s it look?”

 

 He leaned over the haven cliff and peered through the lens of his rifle, cocking his head so his brown, wispy bangs fell away from his eyes. “Yep. Robots. Got three mechs in a row like a horse race, and about two score of andros…” He sucked his teeth, exhaling in resignation as he set his rifle down. “Yeeeeeaaaahhhh. Best if we stay out of this one. There’s a road just to the left the checkpoint, scoped it out while I was sipping my water. We can take that side canyon.”

 

 Gladiolus huffed, hand firmly gripping his sword as he peered out into the road and looked right and left, checking for any hostiles. “We’re good. I need to stop for a minute…” Shutting his eyes, he sat back against the rock and let his muscles relax finally.

 

 His friend was still smiling. Gladiolus wondered how he could be after all the horror he had witnessed. “You okay? Feeling a little anxious? Nervous? Excited?”

 

 “Heh, all four, I guess…” Gladiolus took the cantine he handed him. “Just hope we can get back out once we’re finished in there…”

 

 “And by ‘finished’, you mean ‘in love’?”, he teased, earning himself a slap in the shoulder. “Haha! I know what you’re gonna do with the prince~...”

 

 “Cletus, cut it out, huh?”

 

 His laughter petered out at the mention of his real name. “Yeah, ok…” His face grew solemn, eyes low and unresponsive. He slumped himself against the haven wall with a sigh, crossing his arms in silence. A large hand gripped his shoulder, hoping to bring the conversation back to life.

 

 “Hey, I’m sorry,” Gladiolus offered, gently shaking him. “I don't mean to sound like a jackass, but I’m a little on edge right now and… damn. Yeah, I am making excuses for myself.” He thumbed his scruffy chin, gazing absentmindedly at how the rain pummeled the small clumps of yellow grass along the road, trying to pick themselves up after suffering endless torrential torture.

 

 He was being a jackass though, and he knew it. Once, a long time ago, he had promised his younger friend he’d stop calling him by his real name. A request that stemmed from Cletus’s horrible home life, in his mother’s absence and his father’s… well, active participation.

 

 His father was an abuser, he raised his only son with an iron fist, literally. And it wasn’t just beatings. Cletus had suffered molestation at the hands of his father all his young life, scars and wounds across his back, thighs and belly always there to remind him of his past.

 

 His freedom finally came at the age of 13, in the form of Gladiolus, son of Clarus Amicitia: the leader of a clan of mercenaries, owing their livelihood to the Kings of Lucis; protectors of the Crown’s allies outside of Lucis. They became fast friends once Gladiolus’s father had accepted Cletus into the ritualistic domain of their clan, finding a common ground in their love for the martial arts.

 

 When Gladiolus turned 18, he received his eagle tattoo as proof of entering manhood. Cletus had requested something similar, only a year younger than his taller counterpart, and they marked him with an oak leaf on the right side of his throat; a symbol of strength, courage, and everlasting friendship.

 

They considered one another brothers, coming up with clever nicknames in honor of his promise to Cletus: he’d forever know Gladiolus as ‘Hammer’, due to his immense strength and ridiculous 6’6 size, and Gladiolus affectionately called him ‘Ace’, his sharp wit and impressive accuracy in rifle shooting his forte.

 

 They were inseparable.

 

 “Ace,” Gladiolus said softly. “Hey, really. I’m sorry, okay? It was an accident.”

 

 “I know that,” he replied, turning and smirking at him again. “Just made me feel… vulnerable again, y’know?”

 

 “I gotcha,” he gives him a pat on the back before resuming his sentry duty. “You ready to get moving? No MTs out here yet.”

 

 “I should be asking _you_ that,” he says, pulling his rifle over to cradle it. “Are you prepared for this?”

 

 His ambers studied Ace’s empathetic expression for a moment, the reality of something going horribly wrong sinking so deeply into his core and burrowing so far that the aching welled up past his head. He quickly gathered himself and gave him the cantine back, nodding. “I have to be.”

 

 “You know, when your dad sent me out here ahead of you,” he began, picking at his ear. “I kinda had a hunch that it would turn out this way. Lucis always seemed a little too… weak, and now this whole stupid war is proof of it.”

 

 “I don’t think it was weakness so much as they were caught off guard. The king had his reasons for agreeing with numerous peace treaties, regardless of their ulterior motives. Remember, the Wall drains the monarch’s lifeforce. He didn’t have much time left, so he made what friends he could,” Gladiolus stated matter-of-factly, sounding like he knew all the ins and outs of what caused this massive conflict to erupt. “And now his son is fleeing for his life.”

 

“And it’s up to us to see that he gets to Tenebrae safely, right?”

 

 “Right.”

 

 Ace laughed in wondrous disbelief. “Huh, I’m gonna have to thank your dad when we get back for sending me on such a grand mission.”

 

 Gladiolus froze, flinching only slightly at the mention his father. He didn’t have the heart nor the time to get emotional again telling Ace about his father’s death. “You think?” He played it up.

 

 “Of course… he’s a great man, hammer, and you’re lucky to have him as your father,” he replied honestly.

 

 Gladiolus always treasured that honesty of his. He’d pay him back somehow, someway.

 

 Relieved that they wouldn’t have to engage those machines after all, Gladiolus crossed the street again with less dread than before, especially now that he had his close companion at his side. “So, what do you think the city’s like beyond the Wall? Saw a couple of those dreadnaughts flyin’ by, any idea?”

 

 “Yeah,” his friend said, placing his rifle in its holster on his back. “Hundreds of soldiers, thousands went into the city a couple hours ago. Almost the whole fucking imperial army waltzed right in like they owned the place.”

 

 “Huh,” his gruff voice confirming bravery in the face of death. “Sounds like we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”

 

 “On my way over here, I lost contact with the boat at Caem. Apparently, radio waves are virtually nonexistent this far inland. So, we’re on our own.”

 

 “What about the cell towers?”

 

 “No dice. Nanos got to ‘em before I could try.”

 

 “Great.”

 

 They made their way through some ruins of a shelter built decades ago in the Old War, jagged foundation wires and crumbling brick walls raking across any exposed skin on their bodies. But a few bruises and cuts here and there weren’t going to slow them down. The howling wind blew through the hollow spaces of this structure, and the resulting clamor echoed quite hauntingly in their eardrums.

 

 With the road a great distance from them now, they came out of the ruins and into the belly of a canyon, relatively low rocky cliffs running parallel until they parted ways at a small clearing of an island overlooking the border of the Crown City. The sight of blazing fire and thick, black billowing smoke rising out of the city squeezed dry any sympathy out of Gladiolus’s heart for those imperial troops soon to be at the mercy of his blade.

 

 He paused for a moment, just taking in the enormity of it all. He could smell the burning odor of steel and asphalt where he stood miles away from the ravaged metropolis, smouldering ashes drifting by his face on the southerly breeze. It assailed his nostrils, causing him to break into a coughing fit and all he could think about was his lover. He hoped he wasn’t in the middle of all that wreckage, dying alone in that gods forsaken city. He said a small prayer for Noctis, the one soon to be safe in his arms.

 

 “Hammer - let's get moving, we haven’t got all night,” Ace reminded him sharply, and he was right. The sun would be up in a couple hours.

 

 They didn’t have much time at all. With his heart still so heavy, and the weight nulling any remorse for accepting this mission, Gladiolus looked away and chose to focus on the remainder of the journey ahead.

  


 °°°

 

 With a quick flick of his wrist, the sidewalk flickered red lines of fire and then burst into flames. The explosion reached deafening levels, having to cover his own ears in retaliation. Magitek soldiers were pouring in from all the dark corners of the street, hundreds of them, making it near impossible for the prince of Lucis to fight them off single handedly as he ran as fast as he could manage in his high-heeled boots, his closest attendant right behind him.

 

 “Gods… they’re everywhere!” Noctis shouted above the roar of dreadnaught engines overhead, whirring hellaciously and creating a whirlwind of dust, debris, and metal scraps blown off of imperial soldiers in conflict. He shielded himself with his arm, his attendant beside him in an instant to protect him.

 

 “Highness, behind me!” His arms spread wide, he summoned a red, transparent wall capable of deflecting any attack aimed at his precious prince. His brows furrowed in concentration, sweat trailing down his face as he turned to speak to his charge. “Highness, you must run!”

 

 “Not without you,” Noctis said, stumbling a little on the debris-stricken streetscape in his heels. Ugh… he should’ve chosen shorter heels.

 

 “Highness,” he yelled, eyes darkening with concern and the outright panic he tried to keep to a minimum for Noctis’s sake. “Run! Now! Forget about me!”

 

 “No!” Still, Noctis refused, pulling on his attendant’s arm. “Dad told you to stay with me!”

 

 “Highness-”

 

 Suddenly, a bright flash blinded the two, followed by a piercing ringing that made them both cry out in agony. A lone, dark figure appeared in the air, graceful and swift, falling effortlessly to the street in almost slow-motion. The figure threw a metal capsule in the alleyway beside them, the blast going off with a bang that caused the ringing to increase.

 

 It dropped mere feet from them, slowly straightening itself with a wicked smile. That blue-tinted visor reflected the fires of destruction as it bowed to the prince. “Your Highness,” a proper accent greeted him, low and a touch velvety. “A pleasure to finally meet you.”

 

 Noctis could only squint at the man before him, taller and very intimidating in his all-black attire. His eyes still hurt from the brightness of that flash. “W-Who are you?”

 

 A subtle hum, almost mocking him was his laugh. “Sagefire… Your Highness. Or shall I call you, ‘Majesty’?”

 

 Noctis’s eyes widened. Only his father earned the title ‘majesty’. “The hell are you talking about? What do you want?”

 

 “I just wish to become acquainted, Highness,” he strutted about. “It would make things a little more… interesting,” his jade eyes felt like they pierced and ripped open every thought in the prince’s mind. “This is such a wonderful city! Why would you leave it?”

 

 He bit his lower lip, choosing to remain still and quiet. He moved in closer behind his attendant, seeking comfort and protection as the man continued.

 

 “Only because your father told you to, am I right, Noctis~?”

 

 “I have no quarrel with you,” he manages, jaw loosening with a touch of fear.

 

 “But you do, my prince,” he says, pulling one of his gloves tighter, the rubber snap startling Noctis. “I was given a lead that you would be fleeing the city - but for what reason, hm? Could you perhaps, explain this to me?”

 

 This man made everything seem confusing yet perfectly logical, his voice strangely comforting to the point of trust no matter their differences… or motives. Noctis felt he could let his guard down just a little, having no desire to engage this man in combat. He believes he’d be dead before he made a move.

 

 His eyes traced the fine edges of the daggers at the man’s slightly toned hips, incredibly sharp, shiny, and deadly. The dexterity and mesmerizing caresses with which he fingered his gloves made the prince think twice before rushing him or otherwise making a run for it.

 

 Noctis gulped, feeling vulnerable and homesick. He wished his father were here right now. “Look… please,” he stepped forward, heels clicking and garnering quite the lewd stare from the black-garbed man. Noctis caught this and his face flamed red with embarrassment. “Let us go. I don’t want to fight you, and… and I know that if you engage me, I won’t stand a chance against you.”

 

 The man sniggered, and the conniving echo it caused around the walls made Noctis shiver. “Is the future king really selling himself this short? I expected more of a… heart in you, my prince.” Then he straightened himself, face forming the most serious and focused expression. “No matter,” he grabbed his daggers and readied them. “You’re still my target, and as you are, you’ll make a lovely catch~” A device on the man’s wrist went off, his attention toward the prince lessened for the moment and Noctis accidently released a hesitant sigh of relief. “Ah… I’m afraid we’ll have to reconvene at a better time, my lovely,” he purred, prying eyes roaming over the prince’s body. “I have an engagement elsewhere… but I hope you’ll think of me~”

 

 He followed his graceful, lithe form leaping through the air till he disappeared over the tops of the skyscrapers.

 

 It hadn’t hit him yet, but once it did, Noctis realised that must have been one of those imperial agents his father warned him of. The same mysterious, murderous agents that attempted to take his life. He thanked his father and pressed on, helping his attendant to his feet again.

 

 Noctis had once lived a life of privilege and luxury, never having to fear the cruel hardships this life often dealt those who were born less fortunate. Only when the war started did he ever have to worry about threats to his and his father’s well-being, the empire presenting itself a looming danger to Lucis and its allies.

 

 The night his father told him of his destiny, Noctis was sure he wasn’t even listening. Though he had indeed heard and heeded his father’s wishes, he didn’t want to believe them. King Regis would be left to face the growing conflict alone, without him, without guards or soldiers, without… anyone. And that frightened him even beyond death. His father meant everything to him. But Regis had assured him that he would survive, and one day they’d be reunited.

 

 It just wouldn’t be a reunion in this life, and Noctis had yet to find out about the king’s true fate.

 

 Though this journey wasn’t completely without its bright spots. Regis had also told him that he would be meeting up with Gladiolus Amicitia, hopefully, and that they were to produce a Lucian heir for the sake of keeping Lucis alive. This made the prince smile, such eager and passionate thoughts lined that adorable, scruffy smile. He and Gladiolus had been letter lovers for the longest time, and now they would be meeting face to face for the _first_ time. His heart raced with fondness of his faraway lover, hoping it wouldn’t be too much longer before they were together.

 

 But for now, he would do all he could to make it there; into his lover’s safe, broad arms.

 

 The prince with his attendant in tow trudged through a dark alleyway, cold, wet, and reeking of blood and garbage. Noctis choked on the odor, puddles of muck and gods know whatever else splashing up onto his expensive royal garb; he was annoyed and whining about the dirtiness of it all. They came to the end of the alley, entering into an entirely different street full of rubble and broken monuments and craters caused by enemy bombs. The crimson lights of those horrible imperial machines gave the entire city a hellish glow, seeming like the end of the world.

 

 By now, Noctis was exhausted, tired of running and blasting away all of those damn robots with his inherited magic. He was quite skilled in spells, fire, ice or lightning, anything he could get his hands on he could cast it expertly and accurately without a second thought. His dark hair flew against his eyes, sweat mingled with his beard stubble, and his feet ached from trying to perform so much in his high heels.

 

 His attendant didn’t miss any of these signs of exhaustion, sidling up to his prince to support him on his arm. “Highness, we’re almost to the Wall… Can you make it?”

 

 He breathed heavily, leaning low over his knees. “Ian…” He gazed up into the dark, smokey sky and saw the faint pinkness of sunrise beginning to paint the billowing plumes of war. “I need to find… Gladiolus… I…”

 

 “I know, Highness,” he said softly, carrying him on his arm over into another alleyway. “That’s what I’m here for.”

 

 Noctis took one last tearful glance at the Citadel, erupting in flames and pitch black smoke.

  


 °°°

 

 “Hammer,” Ace whispered, “this way.” They snuck by a couple of sentry guards down a lengthy labyrinth of alleyways, Ace leading like the stealthy sniper he was. Gladiolus was just as reliable, his heavy, intimidating form could put down any threat or call to civil violence in the wake of war. The alley odor was unbearable, and they tried to keep their coughing to a minimum as they went, steering clear of imperial eyes every step of the way.

 

 It was a curious sensation, but the further they walked down into the labyrinth, the more prevalent Noctis’s presence became. He felt him in his bones, his muscles, his heart, everything alive and pumping in his body could sense the prince was close and he wanted this feeling to last a lifetime. His adrenaline, passionate arousal, and desire kept him fueled even after his hunger wore him out. He was more than ready to see his lover.

 

 After what felt like an eternity, they finally arrived at the last alleyway, a corridor of doors and the way out to the main street leading to the Citadel. And there, standing in the middle of a murky puddle, was what they had come all this way for, travelled all those miles to protect.

 

 Noctis was there before him, the prince of Lucis only a couple feet away from his grasp. His feet felt paralyzed, his mind not quite knowing what to process as he dared to take another step. His mouth was dry and he knew his voice wasn’t any better in his desire for a pleasurable and romantic greeting, but he tried anyway.

 

 “Noctis?” It was all he could get out in a breath so hoarse and so hesitant, believing for a moment that this was all a dream.

 

 Noctis whipped his gaze at the low, gruff voice, and Gladiolus was graced with the adoration of those pretty, dark blue eyes. Then they just stared at one another, both tongue-tied and nervous and scared. Noctis’s mouth opened, but clenched agape as no words made it out. His only thoughts as he gazed at his long-time lover were handsome, strong, beautiful, amazing, and above all, _here._

 

 Gladiolus’s thoughts couldn’t have been more perfectly exact.

 

 Finally, after a moment of beautiful silence, Noctis spoke. “Gladiolus,” he breathed heavily, nearly gasping in an exhale. “No… _Gladio…_ you’re here.” He smiled, the perfect pout on those lips helped set up the tent in the mercenary’s pants in a flash, and Noctis’s deep, sensuous voice was definitely a plus.

 

 “I am,” he said on a whim, stepping closer. “And I’m here for you, Highness.” But he didn't embrace him, not yet. Not until they were _alone._

 

 Noctis’s smile still beamed at him when his attendant stood by one of the doors and opened it, the metal creaking and hissing not even making Gladiolus flinch.

 

 “Now, Highness?” His attendant placed his hand on his shoulder. “I’m certain this room shall be private and secure enough for the both of you.”

 

 Noctis nodded, his nerves just now getting the best of him. “Y-yes,” he stuttered.

 

 Gladiolus nodded at his friend and moved toward the door, Ace cradling his rifle in preparation for any attack should it approach without warning while the two lovers consummated peace.

 

 “We’ll keep an eye out,” he winked, voice steady. “Better get a move on, hammer, Highness.” He made sure to bow to the prince.

 

 Ian bowed to his prince and grinned. “Should you need anything, Highness, I’ll be here.”

 

 “Thank you,” Noctis says, still smiling as he takes his lover’s huge hand and the door closes behind them.

 

 Now, they are alone, enveloped in the darkness. Gladiolus doesn’t waste any time as he pulls Noctis in and embraces him, locking their lips tight in fierce longing. This kiss is what they had both been waiting for, Gladio’s hands running up and down his lover’s back as his tongue reaches far down almost to his throat. Noctis moans against his dry lips, mouth parted slightly as he graciously accepts Gladiolus’s selfish caresses.

 

 The prince wills himself not to jump his lover’s waist, the firmness of his erection pressing between his thighs. The scrape of their coarse beards against each other makes Gladio growl in anticipation as he grips the prince’s ass and squeezes hard like he had just found gold. Noctis yelps, throwing his head back and hands pushing on Gladiolus’s advancing broad chest.

 

 “Gladio,” Noctis pants, fingers flexing against his lover’s perfect pecs. “The floor…” Gladio presses further, the hunger in his ambers hoping he can capture those lips again, but Noctis pushes harder. “No, the floor, Gladio… please?”

 

 In a few seconds then, they were both naked from the waist down, boots and pants and undergarments placed gently to the side. Noctis settled reluctantly on his back among the dirt, rubble and disgusting odors of this room, spreading his legs for his lover as Gladio knelt down and hovered over him. It was a disgusting place for a child to be conceived, but they had no choice. At least it was safe.

 

 Gladio lovingly brushed away some raven bangs from his lover’s face and slid his hand down to cup his scruffy face. “Noctis,” he whispers. “You and I… we’re finally together after so many years apart.”

 

 “I know,” Noctis almost cries. “I’ve wanted this for so long, Gladiolus…”

 

 The shift Noctis made below him presented him with a view of his gorgeous growing breasts beneath his v-neck t-shirt, but he fought the urge to rip it off and peel back his binder for want of sucking on his precious, perky nipples. He inhaled sharply, his lover was all-around gorgeous. “Noctis, you are beautiful… more beautiful than I ever imagined.” His voice breaks and Noctis can feel his desperation with all his being.

 

 “So are you,” he replies, tugging on Gladio’s shirt. And then they just gaze into one another’s eyes, sapphire sirening copper into a lustful swim, the pressure and weight of their calling making it even more difficult to resist temptation.

 

 Just then, a huge explosion makes Gladio jump, grunting from the aftershock as he looks up into nothing, tears forming in his eyes. But Noctis gently brings him back to the intimacy of this moment, cupping his face with soft hands.

 

 “Gladio, my love,” he coos tenderly. “We don’t have much time…”

 

 He doesn’t reply, only leaning in close to possess his lips passionately once more: the beginning of a life created for the future of Lucis and all they hold dear mere moments away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So with this fic, I'm freelancing all the way. Some of it was planned out but, I wanted to experiment with it and sure enough, it's turning out better than I thought!
> 
> Hope you feel the same :)

Big, broad hands trace the delicate curves of Noctis’s hips, the softness under his fingertips unlike anything he’s felt before. He lingers on the ample plumpness of the prince’s thighs, kneading them and making his lover whine softly. But another crash out in the distance drowns all of his desires to enjoy every inch of Noctis, his whole body aching for pleasure. The dim flutter of one light bulb hanging above them illuminates too obvious of a reason not to rush this, especially when 30 years had prepared them for this moment. Noctis places his hands over his lover’s and guides him down to his privates, looking pleadingly into his eyes. It is a combination of pure love and the need for consent of their purpose here. He can sense Gladio’s willingness and yet still his hesitation.

 “Gladio,” he whispers, letting Gladio’s hands touch the fragile, sensitive flesh below his waist. “It has to happen now, or we’ll lose this chance.”

 He knew he was right, but just couldn’t agree verbally. Instead, he nodded silently and brought his lover's arms to rest behind his neck, shifting closer as he leaned in to murmur at his ear. “I understand, Noctis, I do. But I…” His voice drops to an even quieter measure. “I just want to feel you…” A kiss to his shoulder. “I want to touch you… Smell you…” Another kiss, this time to his throat, hasty and urgent. His arousal was heightened by the sweet, floral perfume Noctis wore, and he responded with a low growl. “By the gods… I don’t even deserve you, Noctis...” His bared teeth grazed Noctis’s throat, nipping slightly at the crook of his shoulder. “I want to bury myself within you… become one with you… But I can’t do that without first showing your body the perfect amount of affection that it deserves… the affection  _ you  _ deserve…”

 Letting his head loll to the side, Noctis moans softly as Gladio tastes his beautiful flesh with the same hunger a wild beast might feast on its prey. He hugged Gladio tighter, gasping when he felt his lover’s huge cock probe at his entrance, already soaking wet. “You know I want exactly-” A quiet gasp. “-the same thing, Gladio… But Dad… he…” He grasped Gladio’s face and brought him up to look into his eyes, his heart melting from the heated passion he saw inside them. “We have to do this quickly. All of our lives depend on it.”

 Gladio smiled then, placing his broad hand on Noctis’s heaving breasts. The rapid rhythm of his heartbeat thumping against his palm made him think twice. “You’re right,” he mumbles, shifting so his knees are on either side of Noctis’s belly, trapping him beneath his towering form. “May I become one with you, my love?”

 Noctis gazes up longingly at him and smiles sheepishly. He can’t help but smile back when Gladio tucks his chin to his chest and watches him with steady, loving eyes, feeling those big hands reaching down and spreading his drippy folds. He arches slightly and lets his legs drop open further, fingers touching his lover’s bulky knees.

 Gladio grasps his lover’s hips and lifts him up to align his heavy cock with his entrance. But before he goes any further, he kisses him again and whispers against his lips, “Relax, my love. I am here to take care of you… and I promise-” He enters him, sliding in slowly as he pushes through Noctis’s tight, vaginal wings, wincing when his lover cries out in pain, muffled by their deep kiss. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 Gladio is so huge, and his girth that continues to push into the prince despite the aching protests of his muscles makes him feel like he’s being ripped apart. But it isn’t long before that pain eases into pleasure and their crotches are pressed flush into one another as Gladio sheaths himself so deep that his balls are hanging between his lover’s thighs, connecting them in so intimate and intense a way that sends Noctis reeling up onto his upper back. He carefully lifts his knees up and tries to hook them over Gladio’s shoulders, but gasps once more and arches as his soft walls painfully contract around his lover’s giant member. He’s not yet ready for movement as he slowly drops his legs back down.

 But Gladio catches them mere centimeters from the floor and rubs his thumbs over the edge of both thighs before he helps to bring him over his shoulders, angling his lover so he’s lying almost on his head. Feeling they both need a little bit more room, Gladio backs up slightly so he can let Noctis have a little more relief on his neck. But the shift causes Noctis pain, and he’s unable to hold it in as he arches and tries to pull away from him.

 Gladio grits his teeth, grunting at the discomfort Noctis’s struggling is causing him. “Noctis,” he says, holding in a breath. “Noctis, my love, you must hold still.” He caresses his hips and tenderly brings his bottom back under him, shushing him as Noctis whimpers against his grip. “I’ve got you…” Sweet and assuring are his humming words that Noctis gives up and settles his body into the hardness of the dirty floor. “Breathe, Noctis, just breathe…”

 The prince takes a few deep breaths, exhaling through his mouth all the while keeping his focus on his lover’s face. He can feel his lover’s cock so rock hard within him that it’s actually kind of comforting, and coupled with Gladio’s radiant body heat, it’s a wonderful feeling. Finally, he’s fully relaxed, and he relishes the pleasurable fullness of his womb with Gladio’s cock buried deep inside of him. He inches his hips up and grinds them weakly against his lover’s before he has to lower them again, a smile still gracing his fuzzy lips as Gladio grunts at the eager movement. “Gladio?”

 A whisper so tiny and so pretty snuggles into Gladio’s heart and rests there. “Yes, my love?” He’s gazing down at a most beautiful sight, and the way they’re positioned, he has a stunning view of Noctis’s plump breasts pushed up to the hem of his shirt. Gladio groans, impatience getting the best of him. And he hates that Noctis doesn’t want him to touch them yet.

 “Are you going to make love to me now?”

 He smirks, trying to convince him through his irresistible, lust-driven glare to let him feel his soft, gorgeous mounds. “May I touch your breasts first, my love?” 

 He’s quite shocked when Noctis suddenly rips his shirt off his head and tosses it away, hands fumbling with his binder. “What the hell,” he says, breaths becoming heavy with passion. “Touch me. We won’t ever have a chance like this again.”

 Gladio helps him peel his binder away and then shuts his eyes to take a breath, hoping to calm his unbearable hunger for close contact. “Yes,” he breathes, “yes, we will. I want this to happen more than once, Noctis. I love you, and I want to show you almost every day if I can.” 

 When he looks down at him again, Noctis’s sapphires are gleaming, lovingly inviting him closer. “Come here, love…” He reaches up and threads all ten fingers through his long, brunette mane. “Touch me, kiss me, do whatever you please with me… I need you.”

 Suddenly, Gladio lifts his eyes to the ceiling and lets out a roar. Then he begins rolling his hips, thrusting in and out of Noctis up to his balls. “Noctis,” he growls, leaning into his lover’s breasts and snuggling his head between them, taking one almost all the way into his mouth and licking circles around his nipple. “I’ll create a future through you… no,  _ we’ll  _ create a future. The two of us…” He snaps his hips up hard against Noctis’s and earns a flustered moan out of his lover’s swollen lips as he takes him so possessively rough.

 But Noctis does not complain. He doesn’t pull away again nor does he ask him to stop. He buries his hands inside Gladio’s hair and grips desperately, pulling his head closer into his breasts as the scrape of Gladio’s coarse beard leaves red marks across his pale white flesh. His breaths hitched, letting out tiny, pleasured hums beside Gladio’s ear, and he sounded so damn amazing to the larger man.

 When Gladio reluctantly lifted his head to keep his eyes on his lover’s, he certainly didn’t miss how Noctis’s breasts bounced with every thrust. He groaned louder, gripping his lover’s hips bruisingly hard to steady them as he quickened his momentum, ogling Noctis’s beautiful leaping mounds.

 Noctis very soon felt his core tightening, the winding coil of orgasm crawling up into his belly as he gripped for anything sturdy behind his head. He found nothing, and could only grope at the loose dirt. “Gladio,” he gasped heavily. “Gladio, Gladio, please… Gladio…”

 “I’m close too, my love,” he groans, jaw tight in focus. “We’re almost there…” His hot, sweaty balls slam against Noctis’s slippery inner thighs with each thrust, gaining a louder moan from him than before. Noctis lets his head loll back as he groans for his quickly approaching orgasm. Gladio leans in close to attack Noctis’s exposed throat, sinking his teeth in deep and Noctis yelps at the sharp, sudden pain. He leaves a huge, bruising hickey just above the crook of his neck, soothing him with multiple kisses afterwards.

 Then, as if on cue, another bomb goes off closer than before. Noctis jumps and yells for his release, coming at the same time as tears slip down his face and get caught in his dark scruff. Gladio thrusts a few more times and groans softly as his release explodes inside the prince; then he’s milking himself within Noctis’s soft, crowding walls as he wraps his arms around his form and cuddles him close.

 The whole earth is silent. Not a single loud noise disturbs the two lovers in the bittersweet aftermath of sex as their heaving returns to soft breathing and their pounding hearts calm and pace themselves in a steady beat. 

 Gladio buries his scruffy face into Noctis’s breasts once more and sighs, hand coming to cup one and knead it. “Noctis, my love,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the faint lines of growth in his mound. “We did it…,” he scoffs in exhaustion, but he’s happy too. So happy. “I hope it was the right time for you… for your body to conceive.”

 Noctis hums out loud and helps himself to Gladio’s shirt, pulling himself up to hug his lover. “It was, I know it was,” he laughs sweetly, kissing at Gladio’s pecs peeking out of his tank top.“I can feel it, love…”

 He grins, placing his lover gently back down onto the floor and pulling out of him. “I hope I didn’t hurt you…” 

 Noctis whimpers as he was pulled away from his lover’s warm embrace, but knows in the back of his mind and deep in his heart that they can’t just sit here and rest. “No, of course not,” he smiles back, letting Gladio clean his opening and thighs, dripping with lukewarm cum. “I actually enjoyed how rough you got… You made me feel so special.” His low giggles give Gladio rise to yet another erection, despite them finishing only minutes before.

 “I am relieved to hear you say that, my love- no, my Noctis~...”

  
  


 °°°

 

 Needless to say, they didn’t rush to get dressed. They took their time, eyes roaming over one another and adoring every tiny inch of flesh until an article of clothing blanketed it again. Gladio stole some kisses and fondled his breasts a few more times before his binder was clasped across them, keeping them hidden. Noctis ran his hands over Gladio’s toned thighs before he slipped his trousers back on, the sight of his huge cock still fresh in his mind.

 With their clothes covering their beautiful bodies once again, Gladio gathered Noctis into his arms and stood in the middle of the room just holding him close. He felt almost afraid to let him go, knowing full well they still had to escape the growing ruins of this once proud city. Noctis nuzzled into his chest, hands placed gently on his muscled torso and let out a sigh, obviously hesitant to leave this place. Gladio rested his chin atop his lover’s dark hair and swayed, staring into nothing.

 “So, when we leave the city,” Noctis started, nervousness fluttering in his belly. “What will happen?”

 “We’ll make for Tenebrae,” Gladio says, rubbing his back. “You’ll be safe there.”

 Noctis turned his cheek to listen to Gladio’s steady heart thrumming against his ear. “You mean  _ we’ll  _ be safe there. You and me. And our baby,” he says, patting his flat stomach, soon to bulge heavy with child. “Dad wanted  _ us _ to escape to Tenebrae, and we can live out the rest of our lives there.”

 Gladio sighs. “No, Noctis.”

 “What?”

 “You are the Prince of Lucis, born to become king in succession of your father’s throne. You can’t turn your back on your kingdom. When this is all over, you’ll return as the reigning monarch.”

 “But that’s only when Dad is- I mean…” Noctis tripped over his words, tears still present and waiting to form, but not quite wetting his eyes. “I’ll be king when Dad isn’t h-here anymore…”

 Realizing he hadn’t told his lover of his father’s grim fate, Gladio mentally tore up that subject and moved on to the next. He gulped, his Adam’s Apple bobbing against Noctis’s head. “Well, when he does pass on, you must be ready to ascend the throne, Noctis. And I will make sure you are- no matter what.”

 Noctis gently but firmly pushed him away, clearly annoyed by the turn of this conversation. “I don’t wanna talk about this right now.” He stepped over to the door, gripping the metal handle that appeared strangely clean after many years of unuse. “Dad will…,” his voice quieted, his hand visibly shaking. “Dad will make it through this, he’ll be okay. He promised he would.”

 Gladio joined him by the door, arm wrapped across his lover’s waist. “I’m sorry, Noctis. I shouldn’t have brought your father into this when you’re so far away from him.”

 Noctis looked up at him, tears in his blues as he hugged him desperately. “I love you, Gladio,” he sobs in a whiny tone.

 Gladio holds him tighter, kissing his head. “I love you too, my beautiful Noctis… Everything… will be alright. I promise you that.”

 Noctis hummed, but wasn’t too sure himself. And for him, it took a lot of effort to truly convince him of anything. He locked his arms behind Gladio’s waist. “Promises, promises…” He sniffed in frustration, wiping his tears on Gladio’s tank top. “They really only exist to make you hopeful for something whether or not it’s gonna actually happen. And when it doesn’t, it pisses you off and you don’t ever wanna trust anyone ever again.”

 Gladio found it kinda funny and chuckled a bit. “But  _ I  _ promised you I’d be here, and I am, aren’t I?”

 “But Dad’s not,” he replies hopelessly. “I’m worried about him, Gladio. He’s sixty-five years old and he’s so weak, I argued with him about leaving… But I knew this is what he wanted for me.”

 “Noctis,” Gladio pushes him up gently against the wall, hands sneaking up and underneath his binder to grope his breasts again. (He was in love with those things.) “Our fathers sacrificed everything- even their own safety- for us to do this thing. To preserve our futures, and the future of Lucis. Your father is most likely kneeling by the throne, praying for your safe passage to Tenebrae and for the life of our unborn child.”

 “And what if I’m not pregnant? Then what?” Gladio squeezes his breasts in a way that makes his undergarments wet all over again, his moan soft and sweet.

 “Then we’ll try again,” he says firmly, capturing his lips once more. He squeezes and massages his mounds harder and makes him tremble in his hands, a deep moan leaving his parted lips as he tries to pull away from his lover. “We’ll try as many times as it takes, all the way to Tenebrae. I won’t stop loving you until you are heavy with our child and soon to give birth…” His dark, fiery eyes stare right into Noctis’s and ignite them, a faint light illuminating deep blue oceans. “I promised my father, I promised your father…” He gropes his breasts as hard as he can, leaving two huge bruises. His kiss becomes possessive, hungry, tilting his head far above Noctis’s to thrust his tongue down his throat. Noctis’s scream of pain is muffled and choked as he tries to yank his lover’s hands away, his actions futile.

 But as rough and brutal as it began, Gladio’s hands soon fell limp and gentle and his tongue retreated from Noctis’s throat, slipping satisfyingly out of his mouth with one last pop. He removed his hands and re-secured Noctis’s binder firmly across his chest, coming to hold his shoulders. Breathless, Noctis searches his face relentlessly for a sign of remorse. Much to his chagrin, he found nothing but fondness- and love.

 Then, in a long-winded sigh, Gladio says longingly, “...And I promised  _ you _ , Noctis.”

  
  


 °°°

 

 The party of four snuck through the smouldering ruins of the Crown City without much hinderance, making their way to the Wall. A few magitek troopers crawled out of the shadows here and there, and they fought them off almost routinely. No one really talked, and every time someone tried to start a conversation, their voices were silenced by… well, silence. The atmosphere felt broken, crumbled, even though there really wasn’t anything among them to begin with. What made the journey better, at least for Noctis, was holding Gladio’s hand as they left his home behind.

 Though he was comforted, fingers entwined with his lover’s, Noctis’s path blurred with tears. He couldn’t help how all of his anger and sorrow poured out of him when he looked back at the Citadel, eyes swollen and red as he watched a tower collapse on the left wing. Gladio caught him before he collapsed to his knees and carried him the rest of the way; the prince sobbing and mumbling incoherent words about his father.

 After they had breached the city border, they cut through the same canyon Gladio and Ace had used for cover. Ian, the prince’s attendant, thought it incredibly odd how no one of the upper rungs in imperial standing confronted them again upon leaving the city. The king’s plan seemed all-too-well planned, like someone was watching them and knew exactly what he had in store for his son; waiting for the perfect moment to strike them down and end it all in one fell swoop.

 Noctis eventually settled himself and asked to be put down so he could walk on his own. Thinking about the past was much too painful, so he finally decided to look to the future.  _ His  _ future, the one with him, Gladio, and their precious babe, safe in Tenebrae. With every step he took away from Insomnia, the lighter his heart felt. He told himself to trust his father’s words and follow his lover into this dark, unknown world, full of wonders he had never had the privilege to see since his birth. He felt a sense of excitement, flavored by fear and the uncertainty of what his life might be from here on out.

 He knew the world outside of his royal cradle was worth the tiresome journey, because although he was exhausted from all the stress and worry, and the soreness of sex that almost paralyzed him, the open field they traversed just outside the city Wall breathed natural beauty in its own special way. Freshly dewed grass blew softly, rustling in the morning twilight breeze. The lonely sound sang to Noctis, a trickle of a lament crawling along the rolling hills as the trees swayed in haunting harmony. He set his gaze upon the sun beginning its slow ascent over the horizon, illuminating the cloudy sky in a gorgeous, soft pinkish yellow.

 He yawned. His attendant was at his side in a second, letting his prince lean on his shoulder as the other two men continued ahead of them. “We really should stop and rest for a few hours,” the shadowy red headed man called to the others, catching up to them. He flipped his floppy hair to the side so he could see clearly. “My prince is exhausted, and I’m certain we could use a break as well.”

 Ace glanced back and gave them a thumbs up and then pointed to a high hill only about a mile from them. “We’ll camp up on that hill,” he says with a grin, and he sounds tired by his laborious breathing, but remains hopeful from his light tone. “Just a little further, Highness.”

 Noctis lifts his head slightly and smiles back at the sniper. “Good, thank you.” He also notices that Gladio has stopped walking and is now staring at him, holding his hand out to him. He maintains his smile and leaves his attendant, taking Gladio’s hand as his lover holds him close to his side. “Hi,” Noctis whispers, hunching dramatically. “I’m so tired…”

 “So am I,” Gladio says, giving his hand a tender squeeze then looking up into the brightening horizon. “But we’re almost there, love.”

 Ace sneaks up to Gladio’s other side and nudges his shoulder. “Hang in there, Highness,” he smirks at the prince, walking ahead with a playful step.

  
  


 °°°

 

 “Are you cold, Highness?”

 Noctis turns to his attendant and nods. Apparently, his shivering was a lot more noticeable than he thought. “Just a little,” he lies, faking a smile. Then, just to call him out on it, another chill breeze blows across his back and he wraps his arms tighter around himself. 

 From behind, a heavy coat was suddenly draped over his back and he looked up to see the scarred side of Gladio’s face, smiling so warmly down at him. Gladio’s eyes lingered on his lover’s longing gaze and he knew what he wanted even before he said a word. They kiss, Gladio hesitantly pulling away and thumbing his lover’s scruffy chin before he sat down opposite them on another log beside Ace.

 Gladio’s coat felt so warm and cozy. He stopped shivering. “So, Ace,” Noctis begins and Ace nods at him. “Is that your real name?”

 Ace laughs, setting his rifle aside. “I wish it was, Highness, but no. It’s just a nickname Hammer-” He thumbs at Gladio. “-gave me.”

 Noctis snorts. “‘Hammer’? Gladio’s nickname is ‘Hammer’?”

 “Yup. Known him as that for years now. Sometimes we even forget our real names. He’s a big guy, and his strength is no joke.  _ Believe. Me. _ ”

 Gladio shakes his head, chuckling under his breath. “It’s just a way we’ve learned how to grow closer. Our lives are pretty different, so it’s kinda like a mutual point of our friendship.”

 “‘Different’ is a nice way of putting it,” Ace corrects him, elbowing him in the ribs. “But I wouldn’t trade him for anything. ...Well, maybe for a juicy steak.”

 Gladio shoves him off the log and Ace rolls around on the ground, laughing till his sides hurt.

 Noctis watches them fondly, seeing that their friendship truly is a special thing. “So, like, what is your real name, Ace?”

 The man is silent, sitting back on the log with his hands folded solemnly in his lap. “Another time, Highness…” He’s careful with his words, unwilling.

 Noctis didn’t want to press the subject further, but from the flush of the man’s face and how much he fumbled with his hands, he could tell something very heavy hung on his shoulders.

 Ian cleared his throat, standing up and interrupting his yawn. “Well, I believe rest is in order,” he says, and Ace groans sleepily. “We should leave immediately before the evening, as I’m sure there will be imperial troops following hot on our trail.”

 Noctis pulls on his attendant’s jacket. “Can’t we eat first?”

 He grins happily at his prince. “Of course, Highness, I’m terribly sorry! Please, have whatever is here and I’ll split the rest between the three of us,” he decides, pulling his satchel out of the Armiger.

 “You guys go ahead,” Ace says, stretching and heading for the tent that he and Gladio were supposed to share, but at the prince’s request, had swapped for sharing with Ian. “I’ll get up earlier and keep watch.”

 “That’s not necessary,” Noctis tells him, beckoning him back over to the campfire. “The sun will be up. We don't need a watchman.”

 “Oh, let him, Highness,” Ian interjects, handing him a plate of canned mush. “I must admit, he did a lot more ‘watching’ than I while you were… busy.”

 Noctis relented and the three of them bid him a good night’s rest. 

 Their dinner was worse than lackluster. It was like scarfing a handful of spiced mud into their mouths, and they had nothing but water to drown the disgusting aftertaste with. Maybe he should have just gone to bed on an empty stomach, Noctis laments, having trouble keeping it down with each burp. Gladio was just grateful to have at least some kind of substance in his stomach, those hunger pangs put to rest for possibly only five hours. But it was fine for the moment. What other choice did they have?

 About an hour passed since they arrived here and Ian drenched the campfire, now sitting on a log by his lonesome because Noctis wanted to snuggle up beside his lover. Doing his best not to leer at them as he cleaned up, he wore a slightly uncomfortable scowl when Gladio would make advances toward his prince and lean lowly on top of him, almost pushing him off the log. The attendant made a mental note to shut his eyes when he had to bend down in their direction, or when Noctis would moan in the middle of a kiss and Ian would clear his throat loudly just to hear himself over the noise.

 For some reason, he couldn’t find anything likeable about the prince’s burly, mercenary-cum-lover. It bothered him so much that he decided it was about time to turn in for the rest of the morning and afternoon hours. But he wasn’t going to just leave his prince out here with his lover  _ alone _ .

 “Highness,” he says, in a tone that strains on the cusp of disapproval. “You really ought to rest now. You have been through so much.”

 Noctis breaks from his moment of exchanging loving gazes with his lover and just can’t seem to wipe the fondness of his smile to act serious. “You’re right, Ian,” he says, scooting away for ample space from Gladio on their log. Just for his attendant’s sake. “I will, don’t worry.”

 His attendant hums and walks carefully into his tent. The instant he’s gone, Gladio hovers over to Noctis and moves in to kiss him, but Noctis pushes his chest away.

 “Gladio, no. Not now,” Noctis tells him, but Gladio is adamant. 

 Gladio wants him again, he can’t help it. He takes his hand and presses a kiss to it. “But, Noctis,” this breath is quick and husky. “You’re so beautiful… I want to feel you again.”

 Noctis tucks a loosened strand from his lover’s half-up bun behind his ear, eyes roaming over every scar on his face before he pecks his nose. “Soon, my love. Please, I’m exhausted.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can picture Gladio having a really bad breast kink, all the way.
> 
> Questions, comments, and kudos are always so lovely and I love to read through them! Feel free!

**Author's Note:**

> My favorite part to write was definitely the letter... RegClar is just as beautiful as GladNoct!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think in a comment! I'd really love to know how you feel about the beginning of this story! :)


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